Selwyn_Times: January 31, 2024

Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Wednesday January 31 2024 Selwyn Times
NEWS 3
Grouse gets to keep liquor licence
• By Daniel Alvey
ONE OF the district’s bestknown
hotels has weathered
a bid to have its liquor licence
revoked.
Police, the council licensing
inspector, and Canterbury’s
medical officer of health
opposed the licence renewal of
The Famous Grouse Hotel in
Lincoln.
The Selwyn District Licensing
Committee released its decision
on Monday, granting a renewal
for the Grouse, but with
conditions.
The key one is that instead of
the standard three-year renewal
period, it has been decreased
to two years from the date the
previous licence ran out. The
Grouse’s licence ran out on
February 20, 2023, with the
current licence expiring on
February 20, 2025.
The Lincoln Club operates
The Famous Grouse through its
company Famous Grouse 2009
Ltd. The club has about 500
members and promotes itself as
‘the club in a pub’.
Famous Grouse 2009 Ltd
has three directors – Lynn
Townsend, Brian Humm and,
most recently, Dene Cassin, after
Stephen Murray resigned. While
ON TAP: The Famous Grouse Hotel has had its liquor licence renewed until February 20,
2025. ​
the club is the applicant, the
committee noted the directors
are responsible for the licence.
Humm is Lincoln Club
president, Cassin deputy
president, and
Townsend is the
immediate past
president.
Townsend
said the club has
a lease on the
Lynn
Townsend
Gerald St building
till 2029.
The three
agencies opposing the licence
focused on the pub’s good-order
amenity, systems, and training.
Most of the evidence from the
agencies involved issues with
intoxicated university students.
In a two-day hearing at the
end of October, the agencies
presented their case focusing
on the Mr Grouse talent show,
which police were called to
after a male, who was assessed
as intoxicated, had smashed
glasses injuring some patrons.
Ambulance staff attending the
scene described as “chaos”.
Both Townsend, the hotel’s
licensee, and general manager
Kurt Young faced tough
questions about the event, and
other issues with the hotel, which
included intoxicated patrons on
the street outside the hotel and
rubbish in the area.
In its decision, the licensing
committee noted it was
concerned at “Mr Townsend’s
lack of knowledge of the
requirement of the act (Sale and
Supply of Alcohol Act 2012).” He
was questioned about the details
of the act during the hearing.
In its ruling the licensing
committee also said Young
“will receive ongoing mentoring
support by an appropriate
person” which will be
completed by March. It relates
to Young’s “lack of response
to recommendations made by
the police and the (licensing)
inspector”.
Since the Mr Grouse event
in August 2022, all future Mr
Grouse and Ms Grouse events
have been cancelled.
In its decision, the committee
noted the appointment of Cassin
and his experience in running
licenced premises.
Since the agencies opposed the
licence, the hotel has taken steps
to remedy some of the concerns
which include only opening
the beer garden until 10pm
and advertising fewer studentfocused
events.
The committee noted that
there was no public opposition to
the renewal in its findings.
“If the committee were to
accept the police view that the
good order and amenity is so bad
that the licence renewal should
be declined, the committee
would have expected that to
be supported by neighbouring
residents voicing their concerns.”
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